Dark Chocolate Mint Shake (Vegan)

March 1, 2019

March is here – meaning it’s time get inspired by all things green! Spring is just around the corner, the green grass is starting to crop up, as are my seedlings I’m cultivating for our vegetable garden.

This year, in an effort to keep mosquitos at bay in the summer months, I’m planting a little herb garden full of chives, sage, rosemary, and mint. Mint is notorious for growing like a weed – so I’m always looking for ways to incorporate it into recipes.

Thinking back, one of my fondest memories of mint was in my favorite dessert – mint chocolate chip ice cream. I could eat a whole bowl covered with rich chocolate syrup or blend it into a delicious milkshake (or ice cream shake – tomAto, tOmato). There was something about the fresh cool of the mint paired with the richness of the chocolate that made it one of the best flavors around!

Since I’m working to reduce my dairy intake and introduce more plant based alternatives, I knew I had to come up with a non dairy (and also vegan) version of my childhood favorite.

To get inspiration to create this oldie but goodie, I headed on over to Sprouts Farmers Market. They have a great selection of plant based dairy alternatives and I knew I’d find just the right ingredients.

My go to milk alternative lately has been Silk® Almond Milk. It’s light and doesn’t have an overwhelming nut flavor – making it a really good plant based choice for me. They even have a dark chocolate offering! Absolutely perfect for a dark chocolate and mint shake.

Sprouts Farmers Market is even offering $1 off any Silk Oatmilk or Silkmilk Half gallon through 3/26/19 . All you have to do is download their app, clip the coupon, and present at checkout. I love being able to try new flavors and plant based alternatives when they’re on sale!

The dark chocolate almond milk flavor was a no brainer as the base for this recipe. But how to get to a non dairy version of whipped cream and chocolate syrup?

Of course, you can also use regular whipped cream and chocolate syrup if that works for you (after all, progress is perfection!) but I decided I wanted to experiment and make those ingredients from scratch.

Making dairy free whipped cream and homemade chocolate syrup was a lot easier than you’d think. Just whip up a can of full fat coconut milk, some confectioner’s sugar and voila! Non – dairy whipped cream in an instant. (Actually it takes about 5 minutes, but you get my point.)

The chocolate syrup was super easy to make too! Just bring some water, sugar, and cocoa powder to a boil, and let cool – just like making a simple syrup as you would for cocktails. I’ve included the recipes for both the whipped cream and chocolate syrup below.

That’s all there was to it! Just a little blending, a little trip down memory lane, and a nice fresh bunch of mint. And there you have it! A delicious dark chocolate and mint “milk” shake that anyone will enjoy!

Instructions

To serve, drizzle 1tbsp of chocolate syrup down the sides of each glass. Fill with shake, garnish with more coconut cream, fresh mint, and a light dusting of cocoa powder if desired.

Notes

Chocolate Syrup

To make vegan chocolate syrup, bring 1 cup water & 1 cup sugar to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Stir in 2 tbsps cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in a jar or squeeze bottle in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Coconut Whipped Cream

To make a vegan whipped cream using Coconut Milk, beat one can of cold full fat coconut milk or coconut cream with 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar. This won’t work if the coconut milk or cream isn’t cold. Beat until soft peaks form.